Adjustable chair



(No Model.) 7 v Sheets-Sheet 1. J.-PO0LMAN & F. R. MARKS,

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR.

No. 305,845. Patented Sept. 30, 1884.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' J. POOLMAN 8:; P. R. MARKS,

- ADJUSTABLE CHAIR. No. 305,845. Patented Sept. 30, 1884.

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ADJUSTABLE CHAIR.

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Patented Sept. 30, 1884.

WITNESSES INVENTURnFI %Wd 7 T M I v &

N. PETERS. Phulolithogmpher, Wak ngnm By C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES POOLMAN AND FRANK It. MARKS, OF NEW YORK, Y.

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,845, dated September 30 1884.

Application filed June 20, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may. concern: 7

Be it known that we, JAM-ES Poomuiiv and FRANK R.1VIARKS,difiZDS of the United States, and both residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Chairs, of which the following is a specificat-ion.

that class of easy chairs, in which each part or section is adjustable; and it consists, first,

in an improved mechanism for operating the back and seat sections; second, in the combination of a head-rest and connecting operating devices; third, in a device for suspending the footscction with meansfor effecting its adjustment; and, finally, in the combination and two parts d forming the standard, suitable recesses being made therein to receive it. The

lower edge of this plate is provided with teeth or notches g, which are slightly beveled inward. h is a push-bar working in a guideway, h,

on the plate f. To its lower'end is pivoted a cam-plate, t, which plate is pivoted to the cover the teeth or notches on said plate when it is operated by the push-bar.

On the push-bar h is arranged a spring, j, 7 which projects into and is retained in the slot 6 5 laby a cross-pin, i, arranged on the push-bar. The movement of the push-bar is limited by the pin 1', which travels in a slot, 1, in the plate f. A short rod, m, on the upper end of Our invention relates to improvements in \platef, and is adapted to be swung over and arrangement of certain parts and devices for producing a simultaneous adjustment. of all the sections, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

Inthe accompanying drawings, which fully illustrate our improvemenis,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair embodying our improvements, with a portion of the seat-frame broken away on one side. Fig. 2 is a section of the same, showing the foot and leg section elevated to pass the switch-pawl, in full lines, and representing by dotted lines the position of the said section when released from the ratchet-bar and pushed under the seat. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the plate carrying the operating mechanism for adjusting thehack of the chair removed from the standard. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are enlarged frag. mentary views of the ratchet-bar, with attach ed plate, pawl, and engaging arms, the pawl being shown in three positions.

Let a represent the frame for supporting the seat; I), the back frame; 0, the legs of thechair, and cl the standards which support and to which are hinged the arms 6.

\Ve will first confine our description to the a mechanism for effecting, primarily, the adj ustment of the back-section.

Vithin the standard cl is arranged the operating device, and since the same arrangement is carried out on each side of the chair it will be only necessary to describe one of them.

j isa curved metal plate, similar in shape to the, standard, whichis secured between the l the push-bar projects through the slot 2 in the standard, and has a knob, m, or other suitable device arranged on its end, so that the push-bar can be conveniently operated from the outside of the standard.

To the inside of the front rail and side rail of the seat-frame a is attached an angle-plate,

a. To the upper part of this plate is hinged or pivoted the lower end of the standard (Z. The side rail of the seat-frame isprovided with a deep socket, to, adapted to receive the 8 lower round end of the standard.

Into the angleplate n is jonrnaled a bent bar, which carries on its ends the fixed pawls q, to engage with the toothed periphery of the plate f. The arms 6 are pivoted at their 8 front end to standards (I, and their rear end is secured by means of nut e to the rod 1', journaled in the back frame.

To the rear part of the side rails of the seatframe a are secured cast-iron plates 8, having upwardly-turned ends 8, which receive the ends ofa rod, t.

Two strong coiled springs, a, are arranged on this red, one end of the spring being secured to a pin, 1;, on the plate 8, and the other is held in a notched projection, 20, formed on the rod. This rod is enlarged at its central part, and is provided with holes a: to receive a key for rotating it, if it becomes necessary to tighten the springs. The rod at this part is also provided with notches 1 on its periphery, and the pawl 2, arranged on the back frame, is thrown into engagement with the rod when the proper tension is given to the springs.

To the under part of the cross-rail A of the back frame is attached by bolts and nuts a flat iron bar, B, having depending ends B, through which the rod 15 passes. The side bars of the seat-frame a are cut away to receive the upright bars 0, which latter are rounded at their lower edge and fit into the sockets D, formed in the side rails of the seat-frame a in a manner similar to the standards d.

Having now described the main mechanism for effecting the adjustment of the chair, we will set forth its method of operation before describing the several connectingdevices whereby the head-rest, foot-section, and seat are adjusted simultaneously with the back. When it is desired to change the inclination of the back, the occupant presses on the knobs m, forcing the push-bar it down until its hinged plate 21 strikes the pawl q and disengages it, and the plate i, then covering the teeth on the plate f, holds the pawls out of engagement until the occupant has pressed the back into the desired position, when, upon releasing the push-bar, the rod p will fall by its own gravity and throw the pawls into engagement.

E represents the head-rest, which is 0011- .nected to the back-frame by leaf-hinges, and

swings forward. The mechanism which connects it with the main operating device is as follows: To the rod r, to which the rear, ends of I the arms 6 are keyed, are secured two short arms, F, to which are pivoted one end of the levers G, which levers are bent to a curve outwardly and inwardly at their upper ends, and are pivoted to short arms H, affixed to the head-rest. Upon disengaging the pawl the movement of the arms and back-frame will cause a partial rotation of the rod 7', Wl11 (,11 movement will cause the head-rest to be thrown forward by the levers G in the position shown in Fig. 2.

The third part of our invention relates to the means for operating the seat of the chair.

I is an inner seat-frame, which is hinged at its back to the outer seat-frame, a. To the side bars of this inner frame, near the front, are secured upright bars P, having pins or studs 0.

In the lower part of the plate f are secured the endsof rod K, which passes beneath the seat-frame, and on which is hung arms L, that are connected at their lower ends by a crossrod, M. The upper ends of the arms L are formed with a hook, N, to engage with the pins don the arms P of the inner seat-frame, I. The rod K passes through and works in a curved slot, J, in the angle-plate n.

If it is desired to elevate the front of the inner seat-fra1ne, I, the arms L are secured to the arms P of the seat-frame. Then, as the back-frame is tilted backward (on releasing the pawl) and the arm-supporting standards are turned, the lower end of the plate f is thrown forward, carrying the rod K with it, which causes the arms L to assume a more upright position, lifting the front of the seat I with them.

tion are pivoted the short bars S, which are provided with pins 0, which work in the slots in the bars R. The front of the seat-frame a is cut away, so as to allow of the foot-and-leg section being pushed in beneath the chair. By

releasing the foot-and-leg section from its ratchet-bar, as will presently be set forth, it

may be easily pushed back far enough to be entirely out of the way and be held in a vertical position. To the leg portion d of the section Q, is secured a cross-bar, 6, having short arms f, towhich are pivoted the front end of the curved bars 9 g, which have pins h on their rearends to engage with the ratchet-bars 12,. The ends of the ratchet-bar are bent upwardly and secured to the under part of the seat I. To the outer side of these ratchet-bars are secured the plates These plates are constructed to form a channel or recess above the notched part of the bar, and at the front end of such channel is hung, in any suit- 5 able manner, a pawl, 70, which, when it is in x its normal position, falls over the front notches in the ratchet-ba r. This pawl is hinged at 3 to the bottom plate, which forms the channel or recess, and its front end rests on the ratchet-bar. It serves as a switch-arm to switch the engaging-bars off of the front end of the ratchet-bars into the channel or recess above, through which they are slid easily to the rear end clear of the notches.

WVhen it is desired to. adjust the foot-and leg section beneath the chair, as shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines, it is raised in a horizontal position and pulled forward, elevating the pawl k as it traverses the ratchet-bar until, having passed by the pawl, the pawl falls onto the bar, and the engaging-bars are then, by pushing backward, carried up over the pawl through the channel, and fall upon the clear end of the ratchet-bar. The foot-and-leg sec tion can then be pushed beneath the seat in a vertical position as far as the slot and pin con nection will admit of.

We do not confine ourselves to the use of only one of these switch-pawls, as, besides the one arranged to drop over the front notches, we may employ one about midway of the ratchet-bar also, if desired, in which case the ratchet engaging-bars may be made to travel backward, clearing the notches without being brought to the extreme front end of the ratchet before being switched off.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1.- In an adjustable chair, the combination, I 30 with the main frame and arm-supporting standards pivoted thereto, of a notched plate secured within said standards, a weighted rod and pawl to engage with said plate, a sliding bar having a hinged cam-p1ate constructed to be moved over the notches, and means for operating said bar, as and for the purpose set forth.

plates n, secured to the seat-frame, weighted rod p, journaied in said plates, pawl q, pushbar i with swinging cam-plate i, with spring j, arranged and operating as set forth.

4. The combination, with the back frame, main frame, and arm-standards pivoted thereto, of the hinged head-rest E, rod 1*, journaled in the side rails of the back frame, and having arms e e keyed thereto, with the upright levers G G, connecting said rod and head-rest, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the outer seatframe, a, of the inner frame, I, hinged thereto at the back, and having upright arms P on 2. The combination, with the main frame its front,provided with pins 0, rod K, connect ing ratchet-plates f f, and arms L, having a hook end for engaging pins 0, all arranged and operating as set forth.

6. The combination, with the outer or main frame and the plates f f, of connecting-rod K, platen, having curved slot J, inner seat'frame, I, hinged to the outer seat-frame,- and having upright arms P, with levers L, for connecting said arms with rod K, whereby the front of the inner seat-frame is elevated when the back frame is'tilted, as set forth.

7. In a chair, the combination, with the seatframe having a ratchet-bar attached thereto, and foot-and-leg sectionhaving bars construct ed to engage with said ratchet bars, of a grooved or channeled plate, substantially as described, placed above said ratchet-bar, having one or more pawls hinged thereto, and constructed to fall over the notches, whereby the engaging-bars are carried to the rear end of the bar by the lowering of the foot-and-leg section, as set forth.

J AMES POOLMAN. FRANK R. MARKS.

Witnesses:

T. B. FARLEY, ELM. SMITH. 

